The Wheel Spins Once More
by Captain Lycan
Summary: The X-Men were trapped between a turbulent present and a hellish future, an endless cycle. The world was against them and mutantkind, the war they feared was inevitable. Then through Death's doors they came... x-over with Naruto, FMA, and Ultimate Marvel.
1. Chapter 1

**The Wheel Spins Once More**

**Disclaimer: **If you know it, I don't own it.

**Plot: **The X-Men were trapped between a turbulent present and a hellish future, an endless cycle. The world was against them and mutantkind, the war they feared was inevitable. Then through Death's doors they came...

"_Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again"_

_-Stephen King's The Stand: Complete and Uncut Edition_

**Prologue**

It was scene that wouldn't have looked out of place in the depths of Hell. All around unholy black fire seemed to consume everything it touched. Heavy rain fell from the sky as though heavens were weeping at the scene that was unfolding below. An ancient feud between two brothers was finally settled by their descendants.

Eons ago a man known as the Sage of the Six Paths set out to bring peace to the world. He had come closer then anyone who had come before him to achieving that goal. But for all his Godlike power the Sage was mortal. Knowing that his dreams for peace would take more then one life time to achieve he decided to name an heir before he died.

On his death bed he called his two sons before him and decided who would carry on his legacy. He asked them what was the key peace, the elder brother said strength was the key the peace. The younger brother said love was the key to peace, thus the Sage made his choice. He chose the younger brother thus beginning a cycle of hatred that would ultimately consume the world.

The two boys that lay at the heart of this struggle were among the last of the Two Brothers descendants. They were both on the ground, one dying and the other already dead, "Sasuke," The golden-haired boy said to his dead friend, "For what's it's worth...I'm sorry about your clan. It wasn't right of them, making Itachi kill your parents. But I couldn't let you punish the world for what the elders did," Naruto sighed, "I told you this was the way it was going to end for us. We die together, I hope we both find the peace on the other side. I'll be there any minute."

During the battle the golden haired warrior had pushed himself too hard with his abilities. Glancing down at the horrific slash wound that ran across his midsection he knew he was finished. He had stayed in fox mode far to long and as a result had exhausted most of the demon's chakra. His healing rate wasn't going to save him, with one last smile Uzumaki Naruto closed his eyes in this world forever.

**In Another World... **

It was late evening in the island nation in Genosha, within the metallic palace that over looked the city one woman found herself unable to rest. Wanda Maximoff sat in bed, writing in her journal to organize her thoughts. The mutant sorceress had never been the sort of girl to keep a dairy but found it to be a good way to put the last few years of her life perspective.

"_My name is Wanda Maximoff, most people know me as the Scarlet Witch and for the past two years I've ruled Genosha. Rebuilding in the wake of my father's disastrous reign has taken a lot out of me, thinking about the state of the world takes out even more. _

_After my father attempted to start a war against humanity (the United States in particular) the Mutant Response Division was absorbed by SHIELD. Nick Fury's first order of business was replacing the Sentinels with the superhuman taskforce known as the Ultimates._

_Officially they were formed to deal with all "out of the box" problems that regular military and law enforcement groups couldn't handle. They do that well enough but I'm willing to bet if the United States ever attacked Genosha the Ultimates would be the tip of the spear. I'm also given to understand that Fury would have no problem setting them on the X-Men. _

_Captain America seems like a genuinely honorable man, aside from him the only true heroes these days are the X-Men. They fight so hard to keep the peace despite everything. Lorna left to join them a year ago, it's really helped her grow out of her shell. I'm happy for her and of course I have another bright spot in my life."_

She smiled warmly at the small blue child fast asleep next to her clutching a ridiculously large teddy bear. A gift Kurt had brought for her during his last visit. Wanda brushed a few locks of raven hair from her daughter's face.

"_My daughter; Talia just turned two and is growing by the minute it feels like. That's the silver lining though, more often than not I find myself worrying about what kind of world she'll grow up in. My father continues his pathetic crusade which only inflames the situation with my brother helping him every step of the way. Every week it seems like the X-Men have some new apocalyptic scenario that they're trying to prevent. They seem to be cutting it a little closer each time. In most fairy tales this would be when the knight rides in to save the day. That's not going to happen though is it?"_

"Lady Maximoff" A voice shouted from the hallway, "Lady Maximoff!" The Scarlet Witch jumped out of bed, a sense of...not quite foreboding overcoming her. Ever since she had started studying sorcery to improve her control over her reality warping abilities she had found herself with something of a sixth sense. Even without it though she knew no one would be disturbing her at this late hour unless it was important.

The Scarlet Witch threw on her housecoat and ran out to see what was going on. In the hallway she nearly ran into her right hand woman, Raven Darkholme, "Mystique what's going on?"

"You remember those pirates that were preying on mutant freighters a few years back?"

"The Reavers, I'm not likely to forget." One of the first things Wanda had done after taking power was have her R&D division develop ways to detect the portals created by their leader to prevent being taken off guard.

"The scanners detected had some kind of activity on the northern shore. It was an exact match but we dispatched a squad to investigate."

"What did they find?" Maximoff asked feeling more and more concerned,

"A half dead kid, covered in burns and lacerations. The ground around him was littered with an eclectic array of weapons and some personal effects. We had him taken to a hospital."

"Is he a mutant?"Raven shook her head,

"About halfway through treating his wounds the medics noticed some kind of healing rate had kicked in. They ran a DNA test and this kid isn't mutant but he's not fully human either. I'm afraid we may have one Fury's super soldiers or worse on our hands. Your orders ma'am?"

"Keep him under surveillance and find out what you can from him when he awakens. Try good cop first though Raven, we don't know if he's hostile yet." The shapeshifter would've preferred to have been given a little more free reign but there wasn't anything she could do about that.

"Yes ma'am."

…**...**

Naruto slowly opened his eyes finding himself in a brightly lit room. A little too bright perhaps. He covered his eyes, his arm felt like lead weight, "Crap," he groaned, he suddenly felt all at once the beating his body had taken, "I haven't hurt like this since the Valley of the E-" He froze as his memories returned

**...**_ With ease the Kusanagi sliced through his mid section, blood sprayed everywhere as he used the last of his strength to hurl a kunai at his attacker. In most circumstances Sasuke would've been able to evade the projectile. However while butchering his friend the crimson eyed warrior wound up getting covered in blood, a fair amount of which wound up in his aforementioned eyes. Thus the last Uchiha ended not with a bang but a thud as the kunai went handle-deep into his chest_**...**

"I killed him, I really killed him." Naruto said in pained tone of voice, it had been the last thing he had wanted to do. Going into that fight he had still hoped that Sasuke could've been persuaded from the path of revenge. Naruto closed his eyes in memory of the Uchiha before taking stock of his surroundings "Is this a hospital? Am I still alive then?"

"Yes to both." A female voice said, Naruto looked up and saw a woman unlike any other he had ever seen. Her skin was a deep shade of blue and her hair was flaming red. She wore form-fitting white clothing that left nothing to the imagination. The woman observed him with yellow, pupil-less eyes the had Naruto feeling like he was caught in the glare of the Mangekyo all over again. "Welcome to Genosha and before I give you the grand tour we need have a little talk. Mainly about the whole "I killed him" thing."

**The Triskelion, off the cost of New York City, New York...**

The Triskelion was not only S.H.I.E.L.D's main base of operations but also home of the government sponsored Ultimates. The floating fortress was an impressive sight; Edward Elric had certainly thought it impressive the first time he had seen it. A technological and architectural wonder that would've been impossible to build with his world's technology. Edward was currently enjoying a breakfast sandwich as the helicopter brought him ever closer to his place of work.

"_A dog of the military once more, my life's come full circle." _He mused bitterly as knocked back some strong black coffee. He grimaced when he saw someone waiting for him on the landing pad. This world had introduced young Edward to a number of new things he never thought possible; the most unpleasantly surprising among them was a superior who was a bigger douchebag then Colonel Mustang.

"So how are you doing this fine morning Mr. Elric?" Nick Fury asked in a friendly tone of voice as the young man climbed out of the helicopter. The head of S.H.I.E.L.D was a man of African American decent with salt and pepper hair. Fury wore a standard blue uniform underneath a black leather coat. Nick held a file folder in his hand which Edward assumed was the reason he had been drug here on what was supposed to be his day off.

"Don't act like your my friend _sir_," The golden haired boy spat the last part out like it was poison. Ed had called Mustang all manner names which the Colonel had just laughed off. Fury on the other hand had no tolerance for such things and also strongly insisted on being addressed as sir or Colonel. The last thing Edward wanted was to be sent back to Guantanamo Bay and he needed Fury's resources, "What to you want from me Colonel?"

"Oh Mr. Elric why do always assume I want something from you? Tonight is karaoke night and you haven't lived life to it's fullest till you've heard Captain America singing Frank Sinatra." Ed raised a golden eyebrow at the mental image that came with that statement,"I thought you would've enjoyed that but since your going to be like this I guess I will give you this assignment." The one-eyed security Czar handed him the folder, "We detected some unusual energy readings, similar to the ones that heralded your arrival Mr. Elric." Edward's annoyance was piss in the wind at this point, his golden eyes began hungrily scanning the file,"We think may have another Drifter on our hands."

"Drifter? Is that the best you could come up with?" Fury shrugged,

"Well "beings of extra-dimensional origins with powers that defy classification and threaten to fuck up an already chaotic world" is a bit of a mouthful."

"I see your point," Ed said dryly, "Genosha huh? Crap, those people can't catch a break."

"Bad things happen to countries that try to start World War Three." Fury said coolly, "We can't let a rogue state like that have a Drifter." Edward felt himself growing a little uneasy, "With your powers you can pass yourself off as a mutant. Go to Genosha, see the sights, find the Drifter, and convince him or her to work for us."

"And if he or she doesn't want to?" Edward asked despite knowing the likely answer,

"Then I'll deal with it."

**Author's Notes: **In case you're curious the term Drifters is from the Kohta Hirano's manga of the same name. On another note is that as you can tell I've channeled a bit of the Ultimate Marvel universe into this; the Ultimates themselves though will be amalgams of their Ultimate and their 616 versions though. If you have any questions or requests feel free to let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer : I own nothing you recognize**

**Chapter One: The Past, The Present, and The Future...**

**Somewhere in Genosha, Several Hours Later...**

"A headache," Mystique spat as she battled with childproof top on the bottle of painkillers, "He actually gave me a headache!" The Scarlet Witch watched as her Lieutenant swallowed three pills with some coffee. While working for her father Mystique had clashed with the X-Men, SHIELD agents and God knew what else. The idea that a boy of barely eighteen years could exasperate the shapeshifter was amusing.

"Was he uncooperative?" She asked,

"More like deranged ma'am," She exclaimed "He claims to be ninja from a country that doesn't exist. In between talking about the "Land of Fire" and the "Village Hidden in the Leaves" he's admitted to killing two mutants if I understand him correctly." Raven looked Wanda in the eye, "Naruto is dangerous, let's do the smart thing and incarcerate him before he fully recovers. Our scientists are calling his DNA an evolutionary "Holy Grail". Please listen to me on this Lady Maximoff."

"Was he hostile when you were questioning him? Did he make any threats toward you?" The Scarlet Witch asked, Raven kept her expression neutral as she answered,

"No he...he seemed confused and disoriented. He acted like I was the unstable one when I told him I had never heard of the Land of Fire. The most logical explanation is he's insane." Wanda's blue eyes narrowed as she went over what she knew so far.

"Maybe not, according to the report and your own words he was after our sensors detected a space/time disruption similar to the portals created by Spira." Raven nodded uncertain of where this was going but knew her headache was about to get worse. Wanda was at times too soft to be a proper leader of the world's only mutant nation as far as Mystique was concerned. In the absence of...other factors Raven would've considered other options, "Spira claimed that she and her associates where from another world. Maybe Naruto escaped from one of their twisted games and wound up here by mistake. He really could be from some other planet or dimension."

"With all due respect he still may have killed two mutants."

"May have?"

"His...terminology is unusual he claimed two individuals he killed possessed "bloodline abilities" roughly translated." Raven explained as she went back over the conversation in her mind. Her photographic memory helped her sift through the details. Mystique wondered if her paranoia was getting the better of her, besides Wanda appeared to have already made up her mind. "I suppose in regards one of them, Sasuke, he appears to feel deeply remorseful. Until we know more we should at least watch him closely." One major difference between Wanda and her father was that the young Maximoff was willing to meet subordinates halfway in contrast Magneto who took something of a "my way or the highway approach" to command.

"Very well, I would like to meet him myself before we decide for certain."

**Somewhere in the Atlantic...**

Edward Elric was the process of emptying the contents of his stomach over of the side of the cargo ship when his cell phone rang. Traveling by air didn't bother him, but the young Alchemist got sea sick like nobody's business. The golden-eyed boy took out his cell phone, when he saw who it was Ed let out a groan of despair that had nothing to do with the turbulent ocean waves,

"Tony you moron I'm...out of town! Didn't," He looked around the make sure he was alone, he noticed a young girl around his age glancing at him, judging from her less then immaculate clothing she was a mutant refugee. Saying Colonel Fury struck him as hazardous to his cover. Considering the head of Genoshian Intelligence had an even worse reputation then Fury it could also be hazardous to his health,"Nicky tell you?" Ed hissed,

"I know Ed but I have some great news that you'd want to hear: I talked Cap into convincing Fury to make you an official part of the team." Ed blinked for a moment in confusion. Tony Stark had made it his personal mission to try and become BFF's, as the term went in this odd world, with young Edward Elric since they had met. While Anthony's technological prowess astounded him the man's...social tendencies struck Ed as being completely unbecoming of a proper scientist...or any civilized human being.

There was also the fact that Tony always insisted on sharing the details of his debauchery. Ed supposed most teens would've interested in such depravity, especially in this world, "How is officially being part of" the girl was still there, while it didn't look like she was eavesdropping Ed didn't want to take a chance "Nicky's club important enough to warrant a phone call when I'm on a very important trip?"

"A proper scientist shouldn't be so hot headed and dismiss something as being irrelevant." Tony, "If you become a part of the team, a _publicly _known part of the team." Ed's eyes widened in understanding, actually feeling gratitude towards the businessman "Nicky won't be able to send you out on these cloak and dagger missions as often. Plus your sure to amass legions of fangirls, especially since you have the eyes of a Twilight vampire. You'll get laid in no time!" A deep blush spread across his face as the feelings of gratitude evaporated. He felt relief over the fact Tony didn't know that the main character of those books was also named Edward.

"Asshole!" Ed screamed, "I'm not interested in getting laid! If I was interested in getting involved with a girl at this point, which I'm not, it would be for a real relationship not just to get some!"

"I'm messing with you kid," Tony assured him with a laugh, "For heaven's sake lighten up. Although having a girlfriend would help you in that regard. Since your going to be in Genosha I should let you know girls with superpowers are loads of fun to-" Ed ended the call. He then blinked as something occurred to him: There were only two super-powered women that he knew of. Both we're part of the Ultimates, both of whom he interacted with on a regular basis. Ed groaned as he tried not to imagine two his coworkers doing some of the things Tony had described. He looked up at the sky,

"You exists and you hate me! That is the only logical explanation for how fucked up my life has become!" Ed banged his head on the railing.

"It's okay," Someone said from behind, it was the girl, "We all blame God at some point for making us like this." Seeing her up close he noticed the girl had short electric blue hair. Judging by her almond shaped eyes Ed guessed she was of Asian decent, "Noriko, just call me Nori." She introduced herself,

"Edward, just call me Ed." He introduced himself as wiped a bit of vomit from his chin. Nori smiled sympathetically,

"You don't come from a long line of sailors do you?" She asked,

"I'm from a landlocked country." He explained, Nori raised an eyebrow. Ed mentally kicked himself, he blurted out the first landlocked country that came to mind, "Latveria, I'm originally from Latveria. I Americanized my name when I left the old country." He had no ideal what actual Latverian names sounded like. Nori's eyes widened in surprise.

"Have ever you seen Doctor Doom?" Nori asked. Ed had encounter the lunatic on a recon mission into Doomstadt, Victor van Damme's capital. In a perverse way Latveria's "science dictatorship" did remind Edward of Amestris . In fact only one other regime in this world's history had even more in common with his homeland, "I'm sorry Ed." Nori said apologetically as she watched his face darken, "I shouldn't have brought something like that up." Ed looked up at her and blinked,

"Huh? Oh it's okay," Edward assured her," yeah I've seen him. He's as big a bastard as everyone says he is, trust me on that one." Before Nori could say anything else before the sounds of two people approaching cut her off.

"Sounds some of the crew, we're not supposed to be up here during the day." Nori practically drug Edward below deck. The next words out of her mouth took him by surprise "So are you going ask me out now or are you going to beat around the bush more." The Alchemist was fairly certain his face was a shade redder then Iron Man's armor.

"W-what the heck are you t-t-talking about?" He sputtered, she raised an eyebrow and smiled coyly. Which only flustered Ed more,

"Oh come on you noticed me standing within earshot and you start screaming about wanting a "real relationship" not real subtle" she said with a shrug, "but you're kind of cute so it's okay. Buy me a good cup of coffee when we reach Genosha." She walked off leaving Ed feeling very confused. Had she missed the part where he said wasn't interested in having a girlfriend? Elric started banging his head on the wall.

He had mastered alchemy as a child, joined his nation's military, unraveled a centuries-old government conspiracy, and traveled to another world. Women though were simply beyond his comprehension, an unfathomable mystery more dangerous the Gate of Truth.

**Naruto's Mindscape...**

"That stupid fox better have some freaking answers!" The blond growled. While considerably nicer then the blue woman Wanda had been just as confusing in providing him answers about his current predicament. Naruto walked beneath a series of arches, the sky above him was dark and devoid any stars or clouds. Stepping out from the last archway Naruto came face to face with the source of his life's problems.

Nine tails swished back and forth as the demon looked at him with seething anger. Red, slitted eyes narrowed at at Naruto. The monstrous fox was the first to speak, **"You stupid brat!" **it roared **"We perished because of your recklessness!" **Naruto blinked in surprise. While the fox had tried to trick him in the past the blond ninja could feel the beast's anger was quite genuine,

"So we realy did di-, wait then are we in heaven now or something?" In a surprisingly human gesture the tailed-demon inhaled and exhaled deeply before speaking,

"**No just before we were taken to the Shinigami's realm...something to us to this strange new world."**

"Wanda was telling the truth! Could that pirate she mentioned really have brought us here?"

"**Not likely boy! Only Jutsu or true sorcery beyond mortal reckoning could've have accomplished this." **Naruto blinked,

"You mean magic?" Naruto's tone was incredulous, "No such thing as magic! Are you getting senile in your old age or what?"

"**Disrespectful brat! You barely know a fraction of your own village's history! I have ravaged my way across the whole of our native world. Did you know that just to the west of the Elemental Nations lies a vast empire called Xing? lt's inhabitants use the life energy of the world for a scholarly and healing discipline known as Alchemy. A slightly more productive use for nature energy then those retched toads ever came up with!" **He spat, **"I am ancient and a remnant of the Ten-Tails who was a part of our world since time immemorial, so consider for a moment that I might posses slightly more knowledge than you regarding the workings of the universe!" **

"So something brought us back? Why, why here" Naruto asked feeling somewhat unnerved, he had no great desire to be a puppet of someone like Kabuto or Orochimaru.

"**This world," **The Nine-Tails looked upward, a cruel smile spread across his face, **"Brims with hatred, can you feel it boy? It is a old, dry forest waiting to be lit ablaze, it stands on the brink of a war that nothing will survive." **He glanced down at Naruto, **"I have heard Naruto, of certain gods, demons, and other such beings who have staked a great wager upon rather or not mortals are more inclined toward light or darkness." **Naruto had been strangely qiet as he tried to process everything he had been told. Gods, magic, other worlds, he was starting to find himself with a headache to rival anything his academy instructors gave him,

"So they made a bet about rather or not people were good or bad?"

"**A gross simplification," **The demon sighed, at least Naruto was a step up from the schizophrenic Uchiha even if he lacked intelligence.

"Why? What does this have to do with us?"

"**Immortality for all it's boons** **can be a tedious exists. Some act out of boredom, some act out of the genuine belief that mortals deserve salvation. " **He smiled, **"and finally there are those who see mortals as foolish things to be used and exploited. No matter their outlooks all are bound by very specific rules, an action such as this would be allowed provided the balance of things was maintained. To answer your second question I suspect your pathological desire for peace and your moronic capacity for forgiveness has drawn the attention of some higher power. Perhaps someone wants to see you break or perhaps someone wants you to save this wretched world. Regardless, you should be aware that if you are here then others could be here as well."**

Naruto massaged his temples, "Wait, where do they get off playing games with people's live like that?"

"**Though it is on scale beyond your comprehension it is scarcely different from the power struggles between the Kage of the Elemental Nations." **The demon snorted, **"I think at the moment you should focus on a more immediate problem for now: the sorceress Wanda believes you may represent a threat to her nation." **Naruto blinked in surprise,

"That women in red was a witch?" And why would she think I'm a threat?"

"**You represent an unknown in her eyes, you yourself desired to be Hokage it should not be that difficult understand. Leaders, military and political alike, who strive to maintain order and stability, come to fear the unknown. Perhaps, for once you could conduct yourself like a ninja and offer your services to her. You will need some means of sustaining yourself for the time being." **

"I'm not assassinating anyone but otherwise it sounds like a plan." He looked up at the Fox with a shit eating grin on his face, "Your actually not half bad when your not tying to corrupt me or devouring villages. This could even be the start of a beautiful friendship." The Fox bared it's fangs at him as Naruto quickly readied his seal's safety measures.

**Genosha...**

Naruto's eyes popped open as his face paled somewhat, _"Is what he threatened to do to me even physically possible?" _Naruto shook his head, he really was eager to get out of this hospital room. Getting out of his meditative position he stood up stretched wondering how he'd make his offer to Wanda.He tried not to focus on the fact that he had died or that he was in another world. Naruto for better and worse lived in the present, he would come to terms with everything later on.

"(I thought meditation was supposed to be relaxing.)" A familiar female voice said catching off guard. Mystique was once again standing in the very same corner she had been standing in when she had surprised him earlier.

"_How the hell did I not notice a freaking blue woman standing right there!" _Naruto's eye twitched somewhat, "(Don't sneak up on a ninja like that, if I were armed you'd be a pincushion right now!)" She gave him an incredulous look,

"(If I could take so easily by surprise then you couldn't be a very good ninja. So I feel perfectly safe.)" She chided, Naruto became somewhat flustered, his tone defensive

"(Hey I've been through a lot lately okay once I'm recovered you'll see.)" Naruto noticed Mystique's face darken somewhat. He remembered the Fox's words, Naruto held his hands up defensively,

"(Look I don't want cause you or Wanda-sama any trouble. In fact I wanted to see if we could work a deal.)" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"(I can't wait to hear this.)"

**Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Upstate New York, several days later...**

Two figures walked down the halls of the Institute's sub-levels, while the upper levels of the school had the appearance of a typical New England Manor, the basement looked like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. One of the figures making his way down metal corridor was a short but muscular, rugged looking man. He had short black hair and piercing blue eyes, he was Logan to his friends and teammates. To most folks he was Wolverine, mutant and leader of the X-Men. Instead of his uniform the Canadian was wearing blue jeans and a tan t-shirt. A cup of black coffee in hand Logan made his way toward the room the housed Xavier's semi-comatose body, "Ya know Rogue you didn't have to come down here with me."

"Ya can't shoulder all of this on yer own anymore Logan." The young woman next to him said sternly. Rogue was fair skinned twenty-one year old woman from Mississippi. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was pulled in a tight ponytail, while her snow white bangs framed her face. She was wearing a pair of black denim jeans and a dark green t-shirt, "You made me a field leader cause ya wanted someone who wasn't afraid ta stand up to you. The pressure of all this has been gettin' to ya, so no more keepin' all the secrets to yerself. Now let's go see what doom'n'gloom nightmare world awaits us today." She said with bit of black humor to her tone as they entered the room.

For the past three years Charles Xavier had been in a coma. The professor had been communicating with the X-Men from the future using his body in the present like a two way psychic radio. So far they had prevented three nightmarish futures but with the way things we're going in the present she had feeling the future wasn't getting much better. Logan placed his hand on the protective glass dome,

"Chuck, are you there?"

"_Logan!" _A disembodied voice cried out faintly, as if from a great distance.

"Does he always sound like that?" she asked, Logan shook his head,

"No, something's wrong, it sounded weak...distant." Anyone who didn't know Logan as well as Rogue might have missed the slight bit of panic in his voice, "Chuck! Say something!" When the telepath's voice did come through his voice was panicked his words came through with varying degrees of clarity

"_I haven't much time! Go to Genosha...the Drifters...a superhuman army capable...the mutant race...war. Find Naruto, he's a Drifter...cause...the end of everything!"_ After a full minute's silence Rogue spoke.

"What, what was that? Genosha? Drifters? What the hell's a Naruto!" Logan was already leaving. When she caught up to him Rogue found the look on his face a little worrisome.

"I don't know but who or what Naruto is but he's going down. Get your team prepped and ready in ten, we'll call Kurt's girl and let her know to keep an eye out until we get there. Even when Apocalypse was chasin' after him Chuck never had that kind of trouble talking to me." Logan explained, his frustration plain for Rogue to see. That alone worried her since Wolverine had always been fairly good at masking his emotions. What he said next sent off warning bells in her head,"I'm tired of cutting it close, we're gonna deal this before it becomes a problem!"

"Logan calm down will ya?" She said getting in front of him and placing her hands on her hips,"We only got bit and pieces of that message from the Professor. I'll take my team and we'll see what's going on. If we need something sliced and diced we'll give ya a call." Logan could see the worry in her eyes,

"I'm fine," The young woman gave him the "look". The Canadian groaned, more and more the others had become concerned that he'd have some kind of breakdown. He'd fought in both world wars for Christ sake, leading the X-Men wouldn't be the thing that broke him, "I gave you an order Rogue!" Logan felt a twinge of guilt at the hurt look that flashed across Rogue's face.

"Fine!" She stalked off leaving Logan alone. He stood in silence for brief moment, things between him and the rest of the team had been growing tense lately. Things between him and Rogue had gotten especially complicated. She was the closest thing he had to family, Logan didn't want that bond broken.

Now that he thought about it everyone on the team was having some kind of interpersonal problem: Scott and Jean had grown distant from one another over several issues. Kitty had grown agitated over Bobby's relationship with Lorna. Piotr had become withdrawn over Illyana's death,

"Christ I'm team leader, not a therapist." Wolverine grumbled as he smacked his forehead. He made a mental note to talk to Jean or Hank when he got back, "I wonder if the Ultimates have these kind of problems."

**Well at long at last I got this chapter done ^_^! Well let me what you think, peace out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize...**

**Chapter Two: Countdown Part One**

**The Royal Palace, Genosha, Six Days ago...**

Wanda Maximoff observed the strange boy as he entered the throne room. Naruto looked to be around eighteen with shockingly blonde spiky hair. The boy's eyes were a deep blue, his expression was somber. He also had three whisker-like slashes on each cheek, his attire was actually even odder. Despite claiming to be a ninja he wore a pair of vibrantly orange pant_s. _She was given to understand Raven had been forced to purchase him a new shirt. He had managed to find a button up silk shirt that was the exact same shade of orange as his pants. The result was a concentration of the color that was actually painful to look the boy looking so sad and so poorly dressed was tugging at Wanda's maternal instincts.

The himself boy scratched the back of his head as if trying to remember something. To her surprise he got down on bended knee and began speaking, Raven was acted as translator, "Lady Wanda I wish offer my services to you as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village." Mystique's tone as she translated was calm, formal. Wanda couldn't help but notice that the boy himself seemed clumsy with his words, formality clearly wasn't a strong point. Honestly she was having a difficult time imagining this boy as a trained killer. She turned to Mystique,

"Ask him what kind of services can he offer?" She asked, Naruto replied immediately. Mystique blinked and looked at the boy with mild surprise. The two went back and forth a few times before Raven explained things to the Scarlet Witch,

"According to Naruto ninja can perform a variety of services. A bodyguard, a babysitter, a front line soldier, apparently ninja in his world will do virtually any job for a price. Naruto though seems to have an aversion to assassination." Wanda just couldn't see this boy as a ninja, "He claims to be proficient several arts or skills, I'm not sure how to translate it," She explained, "Naruto seems to be describing powers."

"Could you ask him for a demonstration?" Wanda asked curiously. Raven did so earning an eager grin from Naruto. Mystique had devoted a great deal of time to teaching Wanda how to read people. While far from mastering the skill she noticed as he stood up that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. The boy brought his hands together to make a crosslike sign,

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, a cloud of white smoke erupted and dissipated revealing seven Narutos where one had stood moments ago.

"It literally translates as "Art of the Shadow Doppelganger or Clone, I'm not sure which one." Mystique explained to her superior, Naruto then spoke a little more, Wanda guessed he was explaining the details of this ability, "He says they're solid copies but can be dispelled by a single solid blow. Naruto also claims that the copies can be used for espionage purposes, when dispelled he gains the dispelled clone's memories. It's apparently his signature ability but claims he has others."

"A secondary mutation?" The Scarlet Witch asked, "Didn't he tell you there were mutants where he's from?" Wanda wished she didn't have to speak through an interpreter. Raven though made the inquiry on her behalf. They had a rather lengthy talk, Mystique seemed to be wanting to confirm something before translating.

"He doesn't have a bloodline ability, he claims that his abilities are the result of manipulating an internal energy he calls "chakra". He has a clear understanding of the difference between his abilities which were taught to him and bloodline abilities which are a part of a person's genetic code. All mutants in his world are organized into clans that in turn owe allegiance to the ninja villages of their respective nations. The villages function as their nation's primary military force and the leader of the village, the Kage or Shadow is equal in rank to the Feudal Lord of his nation." Wanda nodded in understanding as a loose ideal of the world's political workings formed in her mind.

"Can a mutant become Kage?" Wanda asked out of curiosity, Raven herself seemed curious about this herself. Naruto looked them both strangely,

"(Yeah,)" He told Mystique slowly when she translated the question, "(The first Kage of my village had a bloodline ability. There have been and still are several bloodline users among the Kages of the other villages. Strength is a big factor in deciding who gains the title and bloodline users tend to be stronger.)" He grimaced remembering his battles remembering his battles with Haku, Sasuke, Nagoto, and Madara. He noticed Mystique watching him critically,

"(Does that fact upset you?)" The woman's amber eyes seemed to bore into his, Naruto got the feeling there was a lot more to this question then simply understanding the ninja world. The blonde blinked in confusion, Kakashi-sensei had often said it was important for a ninja to _"look underneath the underneath" _It was one of several facets of shinobi life he had never taken to, Naruto wished he had payed more attention to the lessons on etiquette and politics at the academy. Not that his instructors (barring Iruka-sensei) had been particularly eager to teach him.

Raven watched in mild amusement at the range of emotions on the boy's face, he was as easy to read as a _Dr. Suess_ book. At first he had seemed confused by her question, followed by a slight widening of the eyes. Perhaps he had grasped how much his future well being depended on how he answered the question. Naruto's expression then become one of pained concentration, like that of a student who really wanted to understand an equation but couldn't grasp the math behind it. Now the blonde haired boy seemed strangely lost within himself.

It was hard to imagine someone so emotionally transparent as a ninja, the boy eventually just shrugged as if to say _"To hell with it." _and said, "(Not really,)" He said finally, "(the whole "naturally talented" thing can get obnoxious but I gotta respect the power they have and the skill they wield it with..Some of my toughest opponents had bloodline abilities.)" Both Mystique and Wanda regarded him warily after the shapeshifter translated what he said. Wanda asked another question which Raven promptly translated :

"(How well are bloodline-users treat in your world?)"

"_What the hell is it with them and bloodline-users?" _He scratched his head trying as tried to figure it out, "(At least in my village their clans are the most influential,)" He began listing them off on his fingers, "(The Hyuga are practically nobility, I think they do a lot of things involving the Daimyo's court and what not. The First's clan, the Senju produced most of our Kage. Although he was the only one to ever manifest bloodline abilities that I know of, I kind of suck at history.)" He admitted with embarrassment, his face then went a little ashen as he spoke of the last clan, "(and the Uchiha clan were the co-founders of our village and ran our military police.)" His morose expression wasn't unnoticed by the two women,

"(Something happened to them?)" Mystique asked, for once in his life he opted to think before speaking. Naruto didn't want to lie, the lies and secrets, along with the hatreds of the Shinobi world had been the source of it's problems. But he also didn't want to dishonor the sacrifices Itachi and Shisui had made to protect the clan's reputation. Naruto then thought about simply giving them the "Itachi killed the clan" story. It was, at a very basic level, the truth but _"It's a lie by omission dammit! I need them to be able to trust me." _Naruto felt the beginnings of a headache, he settled something that really was the truth,

"(They were destroyed, to explain what happened to them I'd have to go into a hundred years of history which I really don't feel like explaining right now.)" He said as he rubbed his temples, yep he was getting a headache. Raven narrowed her eyes in suspicion,

"(I thought you were ignorant of your world's history.)" Naruto felt his eyes moisten as he remembered Sasuke and all the agony he had been put through,

"(I was friends with one the last Uchiha, we...we were like brothers.)" A single tear ran down his face, _"Aw crap I don't need to be doing this right now." _Naruto took a deep breath, "(Look I just need a job to keep myself afloat and being a ninja's what I know.)" He explained with a defeated shrug, Naruto suspected this wasn't how you were supposed to act during a job interview. Wanda's clear blue eyes regarded him sadly, Naruto felt like he had hit rock bottom. He really didn't like being pitied much more then he liked being looked down on. Wanda spoke for a moment before Mystique translated,

"Our nation is used to taking in refugees, we have plenty of vacant apartments and her ladyship says your more then welcome to stay at one of them free of charge until-"

"(No!) Naruto snapped surprising them both,"(I-I don't want charity, I'll take out trash whatever, my arms and leg aren't broken I can do something!)" He pleaded, Raven translated what he said after overcoming her surprise at his outburst. Realizing he may made a mistake and offended her Naruto got down on his hands and knees, hanging his head low he tried to recall the formal language Jiraiya and Kakashi had used when dealing people of importance, "(I am sorry if I offended you Wanda-sama, I'd just really like to earn my keep.)" He glanced up after a moment Wanda looked at him an odd mixture of amusement and exasperation. Raven translated Wanda's next words lacking the sorceress's warmth,

"(She says has the perfect job for you.)"

**Hammer Bay, Genosha, Five days ago...**

To Edward's eternal delight he was finally back on dry land and off that rust bucket. He moved among the other refugees blending in perfectly. As far as he could tell mutants were the Ishbalans of this world; ostracized and alienated almost everywhere they went was it any surprise so many of them joined terrorist groups like the X-Men and the Brotherhood? At least Genosha gave them a refuge of sorts, _"An island like this though can only_ _hold so many mutants." _He thought sadly, from what he understood the island had been pretty much a volcanic rock before Magneto's technology made it the "utopia" it was now.

A utopia that had made a bid for world domination, hundreds had been killed in Magneto's attack on the United States. Even though Wanda Maximoff exiled her father afterward she and her nation were now and quite possibly forever lumped into the same category as Iran and North Korea. Edward moved with the mutants getting off the ship, he had seen enough refugees to know how to pass himself of as one. He wore a tattered brown coat that was a size to big and skipped the shower before catching the boat to Genosha. After several days in the bowels of a cargo ship he really did feel the part. Ed glanced appreciatively at the soaring towers of Genosha, they had an aesthetic appeal that the skyscrapers of New York sorely lacked.

In so many ways this world had shaken many of his beliefs. He had always believed that advances in science and technology would bring about an end to mankind's problems. Scientists here had accomplished things that would be considered miracles in his own world. Yet this world was as prone to war as his, actually probably more so when considered this planet's World Wars. The sad part was that the means to make things better were there, people simply lacked the desire to use it for such purposes, _"It's not the science, it's us, humanity is the problem." _He thought bitterly. Thor had once told Ed that he revered science with religious zeal during an argument they were having. That had royally pissed him off, upon thinking about it Edward supposed it was true. It would be a cold day in hell before he admitted to that schizo.

To Edward's surprise the Scarlet Witch herself was there to personally greet the refugees, "Wow," Nori said sounding impressed, "When I first got to the states I got a really mean bureaucrat, not the President." Ed snorted,

"This only mean she has the sense to maintain her public image. After what her psycho dad tried to pull she needs all the help she can get in that department." King Bradley had been a master of PR, he'd mingle with the masses, kissing babies and shaking hands with the warmest of smiles on his face. Then he'd go back to Central Command to order the purging of political enemies, human experimentation, and mass murder.

"I guess after Doctor Doom your a little cynical about politicians?" She asked jokingly,

"Yeah something like that." He replied, he felt himself getting a little nervous. Standing next to Wanda was none other then the head of Genoshian Intelligence herself, Raven Darkholme. While the lovely brunette in red greeted the refugees warmly the shapeshifter looked at them the way hawk eyes a snake. No doubt watching for any would be assassins, _"Or spies." _Ed kept his expression calm when it came time for him to shake hands with Genosha's head of state.

"Welcome to Genosha," she said warmly, "I'm sure the two of you will be happy here." Ed blinked in confusion and then realized he and Nori were standing side by side making it look like they were a couple. While he blushed the girl just laughed and looped around an arm around his adding to his embarrassment. Her boldness was one thing that caught him off guard.

"He's buying me a cup of coffee first chance he gets." Nori told the other woman who smiled at the two of them. The two walked off as Wanda greeted the person behind them. Noriko let go of his arm and smirked at the look on his face, "You honestly don't have to if you don't want to." She assured him,

"Then why did you embarrass me in front of a head of state?" He asked dryly,

"It's fun and I wouldn't mind going out with you but I'm not the kind of girl who'd go to tears if you said no." Ed gave a relieved smile, a few girls had asked him out since he had arrived and it always tore at him to say no. He wanted to get himself and his brother home, getting attached was something he couldn't afford. Besides Ed had a mission to accomplish, somewhere in this city was a Drifter. Someone from another reality like him, Ed knew there were others. At least one had wound up in Magneto's ranks; the rest were in SHIELD custody. Apparently he and Alphonse were the only ones who had thought of offering there talents to the the security agency. Ed really hoped this Drifter was the cooperative type.

**Four Days Ago, The Triskellion sub-levels...**

Fury examined the details of his secondary team's latest exploits in the Middle East. The Thunderbolts were working out better then he hoped, "I dare say I'm impressed." He told the Thunderbolt's team leader, "I may actually consider adding that oversized piece of sushi to the roster like you requested." The man in question looked to be in perhaps his fifties though he seemed very fit for someone his age. Despite the eye patch and being armed to the teeth his expression was friendly, the moustachioed man looked like someone's grandfather.

"Kisame Hoshigaki," The other explained, "He's from my world, from very uniquely talented mercenary grouped called the Akatsuki. I hired them during a troublesome insurrection to eliminate some of the more stubborn pockets of resistance."

"You mean the Ishbalan Extermination Campaignright?" Fury regarded the one time despot with a bit of disgust, "Full Metal has all kinds of nice things to say about you _mien Fuhrer_." The former Amestrian Autocrat gave him a smile that most would've interpreted as warm and paternal. Nick knew it was a mask the false human wore to hide the contempt he felt for the entirety of mankind.

"I had a very hostile minority within my nation who took up arms and threw a third of Amestris into disarray. Very similar to your mutant problem, I guess your nation is too august to consider such an extreme solution. I'm certain no one would suggest using the Thunderbolts against the X-Men, the Brotherhood, and certainly not on any wetwork assignment to Genosha to pick up a new arrival." Fury looked at Wrath, eye to eye, unblinking, "Your hostility really confuses me, truth be told I understand you, the position your in," He very slowly placed a hand on Fury's shoulder, several SHIELD agents leveled their weapons at the Homunculus. Bradley didn't even acknowledge them,"Two old, scarred warriors forced to deceive and manipulate the ignorant masses of our respective nations." The director of SHIELD removed Bradley's hand from his shoulder,

"I'll be the first to say I'm a grade A manipulative son of bitch." Nick's tone was cold while Bradley's smile was still warm, "But I'm trying to leave the world a tidier, nicer place then I found it. Not sacrifice millions to help some devil in a jar become "one with God" or whatever the hell your fucked family tried do. This country isn't going to commit genocide as long I'm running things. If I have to bury the X-Men along with Magneto's thugs to do it so be it. Keep in mind Wolverine's an old war buddy of mine, so I'd certainly have no problem using those nanobots to fry your ass. Or let Full Metal know your here and let him take you a part piece by piece." Bradley laughed as though they were neighbors telling each other jokes.

"Then he'd tear you limb from limb for not locking me away. The boy's Alchemical talent is undeniable but his ability to follow orders is questionable. If given the chance he'd probably defect to the X-Men or perhaps even Genosha."

"I may send Mr. Elric on missions he disagrees with but I know better then to give him orders that clash directly his little code of ethics. Gentleman escort Bradley back to his room." He ordered the heavily armed guards, "Oh I don't think I will be sending your team to Genosha, I have a better ideal anyway." Fury walked off not at all liking the feeling that hadn't really been in control of that situation at all. He made a mental note to make sure Bradley's nanobots were functioning properly. He did plan on getting some more use out of Wrath before terminating him.

**Mojoverse, Three Days ago...**

"_I couldn't but find myelf disgusted, the alien looked like borgified Jabba the Hutt on mechanical spider legs. His name was Mojo, a despot who used the power of pop culture and ultra violent reality tv to enslave the masses of his universe. He had brought here to partake in his latest tv special; a show in which the mutants known as the X-Men would be hunted down like dogs and slaughter for the entertainment of billions. I couldn't help but be disgusted; yeah with Wolverine and the X-Men getting canceled after just one season killing them off quickly would be better then reducing the show to late night filler on Nicktoons. But Mojo's script lacked originality; I couldn't stand the thought being part of such an unbearably generic plot. If I was going to be a part of this then I'd have to convince Mojo of my talents, convince him the Merc with a Mouth could write a kick ass script that'll make the upcoming battle more then a plot device to show off the characters different capabilities. It'll one of the most badass battles in this whole fic."_

"Excellent internal monologue Mr. Wilson though you seemed to have failed to grasp the internal aspect of internal monologue. Your hired!" Mojo exclaimed before he chowed down on a handful of insect larva before continuing, "But if my ratings flop you'll never work in this universe again!" The alien mass of lard slammed his fist down and leaned forward trying to intimidate the Man in red and black tights. Deadpool simply gave a thumbs up before leaving to see if this universe had chimichangas.

**Author's Notes: **Well I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It wasn't everything I wanted it to be but I'm hoping the next chapter makes up for it. Officially it's called countdown part two though "It hits the fan " wouldn't be an entirely inappropriate title.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three: Countdown Part 2**

**The Royal Gardens, Genosha, Two Days Ago...**

Naruto found himself in awe of the garden's beauty; there were flowers of every kind and water flowed from the most magnificent fountains. It also boasted a hedge maze and an orchid of fruit trees. The young ninja had always had an interest in horticulture and aside from killing one of his own plants with an excess of plant food he had done fairly well. Wanda had given him a few tasks in the Royal Garden to handle. Not long ago Naruto knew he would've pitched a fit over being given such a "boring" task. Now Naruto was a little surprised at he found such peace in something as simple as trimming the hedges or weeding.

He found himself getting lost in the tranquility of it all until he saw Wanda playing with her daughter. Raven stood near them, ever vigilant. Naruto's attention was focused on the girl; she was the exact same shade of blue as Mystique and she even had the same gold, pupil-less eyes. She also had a long, spade tipped tale and pointed ears. The little girl was wearing red overalls over a pink t-shirt and was currently clapping with joy as Wanda sang to her while playing with a plush rabbit. He remembered seeing mothers do things like that with their children back in Konoha.

"_Is that my mom would've been like with me?" _Naruto felt his heart ache at that thought. He had come to terms with his childhood but moments like tore at him once in a while. The pain and loneliness he felt as a child was what had driven him to train when he was younger. He wanted to know what it felt like to be a part of things, to have friends. Then when he finally found friends he pushed himself even harder to protect them.

It brought him a great deal of happiness it did, but he still sometimes thought of what he had missed out on. He had known people who had come circumstances as bad, if not worse then his own. Comparatively he had done fairly well, hell by the literal grace of the Gods it would seem he had been permitted to cheat death. Was he being greedy?

Naruto sighed and got back to work with his job, forming a hand sign he summoned a hundred shadow clones and set about dividing them up into groups. He dispatched them to different parts of the garden while Wanda and Raven watched in amazement. Talia started fussing because her mother had stopped singing "Little Bunny Foo Foo".

"I had no ideal he could make that many copies," Wanda's tone was surprised but thoughtful. Raven felt a little conflicted over what she was seeing. On hand it was unnerving that spawning a hundred copies didn't even faze the strange boy, that meant she and the Scarlet Witch could very well only be seeing the tip of the iceberg. On the other hand Mystique realized she didn't have to worry about Naruto having hostile intentions considering he was an instant one man army who could have overwhelmed them at any second and had chosen not to. It was possible the boy was biding his time but Mystique ultimately suspected he lacked the capacity for manipulation or deception of this sort.

"There are a couple of areas where we're suffering from a lack of man power." Raven pointed out,

The clones set about weeding the flower beds and picking fresh produce. Meanwhile Naruto became lost in his own little world as he carefully tended to the rose bushes. Seeing him space out worried Wanda "Maybe once he get's a better handle on his...personal issues we could try giving him a few more jobs." The sorceress wished she could speak to him without having to use an interpreter. Honestly she wanted to give him a hug and help him pick out less hideous clothing.

"Bunny foo foo mama!" Talia cried out, Wanda looked at her daughter and smiled softly. Moments like this with her child were rare, Kurt got to spend even less time their daughter then she did. His visits though brought them both happiness. Especially Talia who had her papa wrapped around her little finger. Wanda smile and resumed singing to Talia's delight.

An hour or so later Wanda had some snacks brought out to them. Glancing over she could tell Naruto had almost finished his work from the way he had started to dispel his copies. One by one they vanished leaving behind puffs of white smoke, "Raven could you see if Naruto would like to join us?" The shapeshifter gave a quick nod. The blond-haired ninja was putting up his tools when he heard Mystique coming up behind him.

"(Yo Raven-taicho.)" Naruto said without turning around but he could imagine the surprised look on Mystique's face.

"(Impressive boy,)" Raven admitted, "(I wasn't trying to catch you off guard though.) The boy looked at her and gave an insufferable cocky grin. He pointed at himself and said:

"(Lady I practically invented that excuse.)" Raven narrowed her eyes, her expression fully conveyed her irritation. Under the scrutiny of her gaze Naruto's ego deflated rapidly "(So...um do you need something?)" He asked nervously,

"(Wanda-sama wished to know if you wanted to join us for lunch?)" Naruto blinked in surprise,

"(Um sure, I'd be honored,)" The boy though seemed nervous about something, "(Should I change clothes or something?)" Raven thought she understood his uneasiness now. From the awkward way he handle himself around the Scarlet Witch he clearly wasn't used to interacting people of authority much less dinning with them.

"(You don't have to know the finer points high dinning etiquette.)" Mystique assured him, "( Remember your table manners, just like you would if you were guest at someone's house.)" Instead of calming down Naruto seemed to grow more uneasy.

"(I-I-I've never been a guest over at someone's house!)" He blurted out, his face red from embarrassment. Raven seemed incredulous for a moment, then it all started to come together in her head. The odd array of eccentric tendencies he had displayed coupled with his lack of social graces probably meant he was socially retarded. It made more sense the more she thought about it.

Naruto looked more and more nervous, that lack of emotional control again had her questioning his claims of being a ninja. Raven felt the beginnings of another headache as she tried to understand this boy and wondered if he was a danger. She knew she was out numbered on this front, the Scarlet Witch looked upon Naruto with an almost maternal affection. Furthermore several of the younger women who worked the palace had asked her about the "cute whiskered boy" working in the gardens. Mystique groaned and pinched the bridge of he nose,

"(Don't eat like a pig and if you want something ask for it don't just reach for it)" Naruto nodded, his child-like eagerness returned quickly enough. He gave a stylish salute and said:

"Hai Raven-taicho!" Lunch would turn out to be quiet enough affair until Talia noticed Naruto's facial markings. The little elfin girl wound up becoming quite attached to "Mitter Whickers" as she called him. Under Raven's supervision the Leaf Ninja played with Talia while the girl's mother took a break. Naruto made a complete fool of himself while the two older women watched the heart-warming scene.

"Looks like Talia's adopted a big brother." Wanda said with a smile as Naruto did the little girl's bidding. "I think we should return his personal effects." Raven let out an inaudible sigh, she had a feeling that was coming.

"Including the weapons ma'am?" Mystique asked rhetorically,

"Yes, do you honestly think he intends us harm?"

"No," She answered warily, "I highly doubt he's even capable of malicious thought. But that doesn't mean he doesn't pose a danger to us." Mystique went on to assure Wanda that everything would be returned to the boy. All the while she watched him play with Talia, it was a fairly adorable sight. But if any harm came to her granddaughter because of the blonde buffoon he would die like a dog.

**A coffee shop somewhere in Genosha...**

Despite his psychotic dislike of milk Edward enjoyed lattes, cappuccinos, and the various milk-heavy coffee drinks this world had to offer. An iced latte loaded with sugar helped wake him up and cooled him off in the tropical climate. He had spent the entire night going from bar to bar hoping to pick up rumors about the Drifter. Drunk soldiers gossiped like there was no tomorrow, even about the most sensitive subjects.

Of course Ed considered the possibility that no one realized the a Drifter was among them. Genosha's population was almost exclusively mutant meaning that some one with powers wouldn't exactly stick out. Further more there were people from virtually every nation and culture on the planet so someone could get away with dressing or acting in ways that might get noticed in the United States. When his cell phone rang the Alchemist let out an exasperated sigh. Without bothering to check who was calling he answered,

"Dammit Tony I told to stop calling me! While were at it if you ever send me photos like the one you sent me last night I will stick my foot so far up your a-"

"I would strongly suggest you avoid finishing that sentence Full Metal." Said someone who was most certainly not Tony Stark.. Elric winced a little when he realized it was Fury.

"Sorry Nicky I thought you were someone else." The was a brief, pregnant pause.

"I'm going to assume your in public place." The SHIELD leader said dryly, "Have you found the new Drifter?"

"Not yet Nicky, finding a tea house is a little hard considering how many coffee shops there are." Ed said keeping his tone friendly, his little outburst had drawn enough attention.

"I was afraid that would be a problem," Fury said, "Trying to find a nail in a stack of needles is even harder then finding a needle in a haystack. But your one person I can count on to figure this out," This weirded Ed out a little, praise from Fury was rare,"Oh," He added lazily but managed infuse the single syllable with an ominous undertone, "I am honestly considering Rogers request to officially add you to the team. Your performance on this mission though will have a major influence on my final decision."

"_Fuck!" _Out loud he said:"I understand Nicky, your crazy about your tea." There was no attempt to hide his irritation.

"Listen Mr. Elric," Nick said firmly,"it's imperative that you find him." All humor was gone from Fury's tone, Ed knew that was a bad sign.

"Why?" He asked in the same no nonsense tone his superior was using.

"My intel says Magneto has had his lackeys stealing tech from across globe. I won't say much more given your current situation but it's clear he's got something big in the works. The X-Men wouldn't play ball last time I talked to them, we agreed your brother wouldn't be a part of this, and Spiderman's still too green for SHIELD or the Ultimates. I need a little extra talent in the ranks, appeal to him, her or it as a fellow outsider."

"If talking to the owner doesn't get you that discount you wanted what should I do then?"

"Then it would be time to go into what Anakin Skywalker would call aggressive negotiations." Ed rolled his eyes at Fury's odd compulsion to make movie references, "If he's to much for you then I'll call in the big guns."

"_The Ultimates in Genosha!" _Ed glanced at the other patrons; they weren't paying much attention to him any more so he spoke a little more plainly: "Are trying to start something!"

"I'm trying to prevent something!" Nick shot back coldly,"I suspect the Witch still maintains ties to her father and we're not going to take the chance of another Drifter winding up the Brotherhood. That telekinetic has proven to be a serious pain in the ass. You want to keep things from getting ugly? Do your job Full Metal, Fury out." Ed downed his latte wishing it was a little stronger. He had checked every source imaginable trying to turn up a lead.

"This mystery boy just dropped out o' da did sky he Cessily?" A girl with a Scottish accent asked, Ed looked at the table where two young women around his age were were sitting. The auburn haired Scot was talking to a silver-skinned girl he assumed was Cessily,

"Pretty much, we found him half dead on the beach with all these crazy weapons." The Alchemist's eyes widened, he couldn't believe his luck. The silver girl continued her story, "His wounds started healing on their own as soon as we got him to the hospital. When he was healed up Mystique took him to meet with Lady Maximoff in private who gave him a job working in the Royal Gardens but I bet it's a cover. The rumor is he's a lone freedom fighter who lost the girl he loved in an MRD raid. Swearing to avenge her tried to assassinate Senator Kelly himself." Ed rolled his eyes but leaned in closer to hear in case they really were talking about the Drifter, "The Sentinels arrived in time to stop him but not before he punched out the Senator and escaped!" Cessily let out a dreamy sigh, the Scotswoman seemed somewhat skeptical.

"Noo why didn't we hear a lick aboot oor dashin' young avenger on da news? Have ye any proof o' this wild story." Cessily crossed her arms and glared,

"It's romantic and there for doesn't need proof." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I've seen him working in the garden, sometimes he gets this haunted look on his face." her tone became a little more subdued, "Like...like his hole world fell apart."

"Not many o' us have happy backgroonds, he may have have just got the crapier end o' the stick an' our fair'n'noble ruler gave him a job where he could find a bit o' peace." The two redheads became rather quiet, the alchemist guessed they we're reflecting on their own unhappy backgrounds. Ed on the other hand reflected on what he had overheard. Maybe the gardener bit was a cover until Maximoff could figure out how best to use his abilities for some "mutants take over the world plot"...the older Elric sighed knowing that was probably a load of bull. From what it sounded like this Drifter more likely just wanted to be left alone. Fury wouldn't allow it though,

"_I need to get to this guy quick, this place has gone through enough trouble. This is now just as much about keeping Genosha safe as anything else," _Edward imagined Fury's pompous face as sat at his desk, _"One day Fury, if there really is any justice in the multiverse, you're going to meet someone who's going to screw with your life as badly as you've screwed with everyone else's lives." _The alchemist's face broke out in a shit-eating grin over that thought. Hell he'd have to shake hands with any SOB who could take Nick down a peg.

"So whut does oor mystery lad look lahke?" Cessily perked up as did (unbeknownst to her) Ed, who needed a description of the guy.

"He's a lean, golden-haired, blue-eyed dream, but the thing about him is that he's got this...charm. He's like the anti-Edward Cullen." The boy with the same name at the nearby table raised an eyebrow, "He's not attractive in a dark, smooth, and dangerous way. He seems silly, kinda klutzy, and warm." Ed figured he had enough information to be able to track the guy down. He sat some money down on the table and got up to leave when Cessily added: "Oh Rhaine there's one more thing about him you have to know : He has these adorable whisker markings his face." The older Elric was so pleased with this bit of info he didn't even notice the waitress glaring daggers at him as she walked past him.

"_Even in Genosha that oughta narrow it down a bit. Worse case scenario I visit him at work, though I'd really rather not resort to breaking into a well guarded palace. Yep this was a lucky bre-"_

"Excuse me Cessily," The afore mentioned waitress said to the silvery-skinned red head, "I think that creep over there was listening in on you and Rhaine's private conversation." The hair's on the back of Edward's neck stood up.

"**WHAT!" **The deep-throated snarl compelled him to turn around. Cessily had shaped her left hand into a wicked looking serrated blade. Rhaine though took the cake; the auburn haired Scotswoman had by all appearances turned into an honest to God werewolf. The scientific aspect of his brain was fascinated by both girls shapeshifting attributes. The great majority of his brain and penis were screaming:

"_RUN!" _And so he did...

**Above the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, One Day Ago...**

Logan checked the various screens to make sure everything was running the way it was supposed to, "Everything's green Rogue," Logan said as he input the coordinates for Genosha,

"I'm not blind _sir_." Rogue said flatly, the rest of the team went quiet, "Permission to set it to autopilot sir?" Logan was quiet for a moment, debating about rather or not to try and talk about what had happened earlier. He decided at this point that would only make things worse.

"Granted." Judging from the glare she gave him before turning her attention to the controls that was not the correct way to handle it. The young woman got up and headed toward the back, again he wondered what to do, _"Maybe I should go and try to talk to her." _People skills had never been his strong point, they probably never would be.

"You want a piece of advice mon ami?" Someone asked, the Louisiana accent and the smell of cigarettes could only mean-

"Gambit," Logan growled, "I'm not in the mood." The thief was a relatively new member of the team and as far as Logan was concerned not a welcome addition. This feeling not only stemmed his own past with LeBou but also from the Cajun's recent interest in Rogue. To top it all off the British Canadian in him held a deep mistrust of all francophones.

"Trust me, I've made a career outta angerin' women."

"I'm shocked." Logan said dryly, "So what's yer brilliant solution?"

"Leave her be for now, Rogue's ticked at ya but she won't let that get in the way of the mission and once we get home apologize like it's goin outta style. Maybe offer to watch a movie of her choice wit her." Logan hated to admit it but that was sound advice.

"I'll consider it Cajun." That was as close to a thank you as Gambit would get out of him, "Oh ask Polaris to give her sister a ring and let her know we're coming."

"Bein sur Wolverine." With that Remy turned and left the cockpit.

**Royal Gardens, Genosha, The Present...**

For the first time in nearly two years Naruto seemed to know true peace. He sat in the shade of a tree as he enjoyed some freshly picked mango. A score of shadow clones was picking fruit from the other fruit bearing plants. Naruto couldn't help but feel the weight of the weapon's pouch on his belt though. It seemed heavier to him, he only had a few kunai and shuriken along with a pair trench knives that he had burrowed from one Nara Shikamaru. It had been Uzumaki's hope that they would've helped him counter Sasuke's Kusanagi. But the Uchiha's kenjutsu was to much.

Naruto shuddered as he remembered that final clash with Sasuke. His hand trace the diagonal line that ran down from his left shoulder where the Uchiha had eviscerated him, "(Memories,)" Naruto murmured as he thought of the weapons, "(They're heavy with the memories.") He looked up at the tropical sky as munched on the mango. He then abruptly smacked his forehead, "(Fuck!)" the Jinchuriki cursed , "(That's the kind of emo crap Sai or Gaara would have come out with.)"

Deciding that being idle wasn't good for his psyche he picked his fruit and decided to go for a walk through the trees. It helped clear his head a bit, he helped himself to the different fruits, many of which he had never seen before much less tasted. The walk worked a little too well as Naruto was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn't notice a boy in a flamboyant red coat step out from behind an orange tree.

Edward had been following the human traffic cone for a full five minutes. The alchemist had heard the guy muttering to himself in a language that was definitely not English. That pretty much ruled out the possibility of talking him into coming quietly, "This isn't personal." Ed muttered as he clapped his hands together and then slammed both hands onto the dirt path. What looked like blue lightning illuminated the earth as it traveled from Edwards hand's to a surprised Drifter.

Naruto dropped the fruit and made several hand signs as the ground around him molded itself into a pair of giant stone hands that grabbed him. Ed blinked in surprise at how easy it seemed until the other vanished in a puff of smoke leaving behind "A log!" The Elric's confusion was short lived as Naruto appeared before him in a blur of orange and delivered a powerful right hook that sent the Full Metal Alchemist flying. As soon as he hit the dirt Edward pulled off a lightning fast recovery and like a cat he wound back up on his feet. Both young men were now crouched and ready to spring into action.

**AN: **Next chapter: Zero Hour! the fight anime fans have long wanted to see: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Edward Elric! Any questions or request let me know ^_^!


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